Romance Reads and Reviews

Review: Saved by the Firefighter by Rachel Brimble

This story is largely about grief, which isn't an easy sell in the romance genre--at least I would imagine since romance is all about the happily ever after. And I have to say, this novel wasn't what I expected. I was expecting something light and sweet but this novel isn't exactly light and sweet. There's a lot of heartbreak and loss, which made this sort of a puzzling read for me.

Izzy has suffered the loss of a beloved sibling, and along with that she's lost the ability to trust. She feels as though trusting someone, loving someone, somehow puts her at risk for more sorrow and loss. I can understand her loss, but it was still hard to watch her push away Trent when she had such strong feelings about him. Especially since he wanted nothing more than to be there for her, to be with her to offer her love and support. And even though Izzy starts to come around, there's always that hesitancy in her that frustrated me.

Not to say that Trent wasn't equally frustrating. He loved Izzy, yet somehow he thought or felt that he wasn't enough for her, that she had suffered too much to be with a man who would constantly be at risk, given the dangers of his job. Even when they both wanted to put that aside, these odd hesistations and doubts still existed inside of them, and between them. It confused me I must say, and I couldn't understand why the romance was so hot and cold at times. Who was more insecure I wondered, Izzy or Trent?

By the end, I think that was the wrong question. It took a while for me to sort of get to the ah-ha of this novel, but I finally did and it made me smile. Izzy comes to realize along with Trent that love and joy and life are worth the risk of loss and hurt. It's simple and yet, beautiful because the things in life that matter most are simple and beautiful.

So yes, I was confused for a while. But I figured it out with Izzy and Trent. It's a lesson we all need reminding of now and again.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.